Tapestry fragment, from the Nile Valley, Akhmim(?), c.5th-6th century (linen & wool)

Coptic textiles are some of the earliest examples of tapestry weaving to have survived due to the extremely arid and sandy conditions in which they were found. Excavations of the burial grounds at Akhmim in the late 19th century yielded the most prolific finds of textiles. It had become one of the most important centres of linen manufacture at the time that these tapestries were woven. Often used as decoration for tunics around the arms and shoulders, they incorporate a variety of design influences from Greco-Roman mythology to early Christian symbolism as well as decoration of plants and animals